Tag: reservoir

June 28th – I had an early meeting in Droitwich, so cycled back home. I’ve always loved the stretch of canal up through Browmsgrove and Alvechurch to Birmingham, so many sights, although now, north of Kings Norton it’ a bike-commuter trunk route and one has to concentrate hard on other users, which prevents you taking in the best of it.

The way over the Wast Hills Tunnel is arduous but interesting, and I still love the Birmingham University Clock; such an elegant edifice.

In between, peaceful rural and urban waterway.

I’m curious about the growing fashion for jokey, not that funny, punny names for narrowboats. They seem to be allowed the same artistic license as hair salons and some of the worst city centre bars. Bewildering.

A great ride on a day much hotter than expected.

May 28th – It was a lovely ride to Staunton Harold and Melbourne, but the North East wind, a feature of most of. the last two weeks, was insistent and wearing, but did blow me home down the Trent Valley. 

The reservoir itself is fascinating, and has much more character than nearby Forewmark, surrounded by denser woodland, and from the Calke end, where the old road disappears under the water, it feels magical and almost private.

Returning home through Repton along the Trent, I found a great bridleway near Ingleby, and the farmland just east of Battlestead Hillretains it’s magic, despite the impending quarrying there. Netherstowe and Lichfield by night are always a joy too.

Considering how poor the weather forecast for the bank holiday weekend was, and despite SUnday’s deadly storms, it din;t turn out too bad after all.

May 20th – Another late afternoon ride on a bad stomach – but this time, an absolute blast. Out mid afternoon through Wall, Whittington, Harlaston, Clifton, Overseal, Woodville, Hartshorne, Foremark Reservior, then back via Bretby, Swadlincote, Burton and Catton. 

The derelict cooling towers still loom over the remarkable Willington landscape, including the fascinating undulations in the farmland around; those towers were supposed to be demolished a year ago, but remain, a monument to a lost temple of power, as the station they were part of was demolished two decades ago.

Drakelow at sunset was similarly desolate, with very little evidence except a forest of pylons to ever say it existed. It’s now site of a very large solar farm.

Another wonderful ride that actually made me feel better.

April 29th – Another grey, bitterly cold day and  it’s nearly May, it really is about time the weather picked up a bit. Hopefully the coming bank holiday weekend will be better.

I nipped out mid afternoon for a circuit of Chasewater, and found little to inspire, but I did spot the amazing carpet of cowslips on the dam at Chasewater which are actually remarkable. The steep slope here seems to be liked by a couple of flowers – these yellow beauties and also ox-eye daisies who often proliferate here.

Returning via the south shore I did smile at the coot contentedly nesting near the boardwalk. It’s nice to see that spring goes on, despite the greyness of the weather.

April 14th – Spring came today properly, and brought with her warm sun and the general population out enjoying itself in what seems like the first temperate weather since last year…

Interested to note as I rode out through Chasewater on a bike ride to Cannock Chase and Shugborough that the canal feeder valve from the full reservoir is now open quite some way, and there’s a strong flow of water into the canal.

Either the Canal and River Trust have sorted out their argument with Staffordshire County Council, or the latter have decided unilaterally to reduce the water level in the reservoir themselves.

I noticed that at the time of observation, the main lake was still overtopping the weir at the Nine-Foot so the valves can only have been very recently opened.

Always an interesting, relaxing thing to watch.

March 17th – I’ll be honest here, I can only fit ten pictures in a post so I include two more shots of the deer. But the other two are of the spillway at Chasewater, fulfilling it’s purpose. With the main reservoir overflowing with rain and meltwater, the surplus has formed a stead river along the spillway and ins flowing into the 1980s era storm drain under the Victorian brick-lined overflow. The new system conducts the flow into the crane brook, a tributary of the Footherley/Black/Bourne Brook, itself a feeder of the Tame. 

The storm system is documented in this post on my main blog here.

It will be interesting to see how long this situation is allowed to continue, as the reservoir owners Staffordshire County Council are currently at odds with the Canal and River Trust, who expect access to the water it contains for maintaining the level of the local canals. 

I must try and get to the Crane Brook downstream and see what the flow is like before it stops.

July 22nd – I managed to slip out late afternoon, intending to check out Chasewater, then over to Hints via Burntwood and Wall, then maybe to Hopwas and Whittington and back home, calling in for shopping along the way; sadly the rain came at Wall and I went to the supermarket from there instead.

At Chasewater, though, these two larking labradors fascinated me. They tussled and played on the wakeboard pier and had a great time, clearly the best of pals.

A lovely thing to watch.

August 28th – Staunton Harold is a beautiful reservoir, created in 1966 to supply water for the growing conurbations of Derby and Leicester. Unlike its partner Foremark which is a creation of the 1970s, Staunton is more secluded and in rolling countryside – and the construction is architecturally more engaging with a surprisingly ornate pump head. 

From the south, one can descend the steep banks to a secret-seeming beach shore, which gorgeous views of the lake; from the north, a nice visitors centre with playground and other facilities overlooks the water from a high position. In-between, the impressive dam.

I hadn’t been here for a very long time. I forgot how lovely it was. I must come back soon.

August 26th – it’s been 7 years since I last rode this way. A fast run through Whittington, Harlaston, Clifton and Overseal, over to Moira where, looking for a cafe, I found Moira Furnace, which looks worthy of a more extended visit. Up through the ex-mining villages, through Blackfordby to Foremark Reservoir, as peaceful as ever it was. Back via Repton, Willington, Burton and Lichfield, a 72 mile ride at a fast pace, finishing under a gorgeous sunset.

It’s the little things you notice, the owl on a gatepost, the view up the Trent of the disused towers that will soon be gone, and the lovingly cared for Ford Escort that seems to look better now than it did when it was a current design.

A great ride.